Who I Am
by ilovetvalot
Summary: Written in response to Bonus #16 "Who's Your Daddy" TV Prompt Challenge: Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman - "His Father's Son". Henry Jareau suffers an identity crisis. FUTURE FIC Hotch/JJ
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note: Written in response to Kavi Leighanna and Sienna27's Television Prompt Bonus #16 Challenge. Thanks ladies, for giving me a way to flex my writing muscles and produce something that I normally wouldn't. And again, nothing I write would be possible without my friend, beta and co-author tonnie2001969.**_

**Who I Am**

_**Prompt: Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman - "His Father's Son"**_

**Chapter One**

Slinging his heavy backpack into the back seat of the Honda Civic, seventeen year old Henry Jareau glared at the occupant of the driver's seat. "Dude, seriously, don't you have a life?" he muttered, slamming the door to the passenger's side as he sunk down into the side seat, reaching for the sound system control.

Matching the younger boy's look, twenty-one year old Jack Hotchner pursed his lips, in that moment, the very image of his father. "Actually, yeah. I'm blowing off English Lit for this crap."

"Analyzing Chaucer means that much to you?" Henry snorted, rolling his eyes as he dutifully fastened his seatbelt, his parents' lectures on driving and car safety playing unbidden in his mind.

"No," Jack shook his dark head patiently as he popped the emergency brake, lowering the volume on the blaring radio in the process, "seeing Beth would have meant that much to me."

Hearing the name of the girl Jack had been crushing on for the last year, Henry stifled an impatient noise as he threw a glare across the small cab of the car. "So, who's stopping you?"

"At the moment, my little brother who's hell bent on putting himself through the ringer over a guy that doesn't deserve either his time or attention," Jack replied, pulling out onto the main road in front of the high school. "Where am I going, by the way?"

"If you're determined to come with me, the Hyatt in Georgetown," Henry snapped, folding his arms across his chest in determination as he stared out the streaked windshield.

Offering him a sidelong glance as he drove down the congested street, Jack grinned. "You look like dad when you do that," he commented drily, shaking his head at the image.

"What?" Henry grunted, barely turning his head, his mind already attuned toward the coming meeting.

"You've got that whole "don't start no shit, won't be no shit" pose that he uses when he's trying to intimidate somebody," Jack grinned wider, deftly shifting into the side lane.

Frowning, Henry turned his head to stare out the window, not really seeing anything but needing to look anywhere but his brother's eyes. "How'd you find out?"

"How do you think?" Jack asked with a grin, rolling his eyes at his younger step-brother's question, once again wondering how they could have lived in the same home for all these years and the kid still not figure out the obvious.

Sighing heavily as he shifted his long legs in the short passenger space, Henry threatened, "Swear to God, bro, one day I'm gonna superglue Arianna's mouth shut while she sleeps."

"Don't blame our sister," Jack ordered, his heart softening as the twelve year old's cherubic face drifted into his mind. The spunky kid was the image of his stepmom, right down to her long blonde hair and brilliant blue eyes. Right up until she opened her mouth. Then she was all Dad. And Uncle Dave. They couldn't forget Uncle Dave, not that the older man would ever let them. "If you didn't want her to figure out what was going on, you should have cleared the history on your computer. She's been reformatting hard drives since her fingers were big enough to connect cables, remember?"

"Too frickin' smart for her own good," Henry grumbled darkly, although, honestly, he was secretly proud of his baby sister. Shaking his head free of that thought, he added, "Both of you always have your heads shoved up my ass. I get it from both freaking sides."

"Boo hoo," Jack retorted in a monotone. "Spoken like a true subject with middle child syndrome."

"Christ! Could you stuff that pop psychology up your ass for one day, Jack? Please!" Henry groaned, banging his head against the curved headrest. "A few classes in human behavior do not an expert make."

"Agreed," Jack nodded, swinging the wheel sharply to avoid a wide pothole. "But being your older brother for the past dozen years or so does make me an expert on you."

"Really?" Henry muttered sarcastically, arching a blond brow as he slid in his seat.

"Yeah, really," Jack nodded, reaching over and punching the younger man in the shoulder. "I've just got one question, man. Why? Why now?"

"If not now, then when?" Henry said with an easy smile, raising and dropping his hands as he met his brother's eyes.

"Crap," Jack complained, drawling out the word. "Now, you sound like Uncle Spence. If I'm not allowed to use psychology, you can shove the philosophical mumbo jumbo."

Sighing, Henry knew he owed his brother some kind of response. Especially since Jack was risking his parents' wrath just like he was. "I'm seventeen, bro. I graduate in a few months. And when they call my name to walk across that stage, I want everybody to know who my dad is. I want his name, too." Pausing a second as he tried to find the words that would explain the confusion in his mind, Henry shook his head sadly. "It's different for you, Jack. You have all these great memories of your real mom. She didn't bail on you. She died. For me, there's this invisible chord tying me to a guy that didn't care enough to stick around. I want to cut it and recognize the man that really was my father. I owe Aaron Hotchner that much."

"Dad doesn't care, Henry. You're his son just as much as I am. Just like your mom is just as much my mom," Jack attempted to reason with the kid that had once shared bunk beds with him. "It's just a name, man."

"I care, Jack," Henry declared resolutely, propping his elbow on the edge of the door, bumping the side window. "And it's a hell of a lot more than just a name to me. That name defines a way of life...a code. You have it. Arianna has it. Mom has it, for crying out loud. And I want it."

"How do we know that your sperm donor is even in town?" Jack asked, deftly changing the subject as he heard the rising anger in those words.

"All those years of being babysat in Aunt Pen's office came in handy. I studied my hacking skills at the feet of a true master," Henry grinned suddenly as he tapped his fingers against the sill.

"Ya know," Jack replied, shaking his head sadly, "I'm not sure which parent is gonna inflict the most damage on us when they find out about this. Mom or Dad."

"It's important, Jack," Henry insisted again, shaking his blonde head. "Besides, I'll be in and out. All I need is his signature."

"You aren't going anywhere alone," Jack warned with his best big-brother voice. "You don't remember what Mom looked like after she left him. I do. We're going in together."

"Jack-"

"Together or no deal, Bro," Jack growled emphatically, unwilling to allow the risk of anyone hurting a member of his family. Henry wasn't the only guy in the car that had suffered loss in his young life. He, too, was well acquainted with having a parent simply disappear, albeit for differing reasons.

"Fine," Henry snorted as he waved his hand. "But, I do the talking," he said, reaching into the backseat for his backpack and digging out the black folder sheathing those documents he would be needing very soon.

"Are you even sure those things," Jack asked suspiciously, nodding to the papers Henry held clenched between his fingers, "are legal?"

"Oughta be," Henry grunted, his fingers wrinkling the edge of the folder, "I used Uncle Dave's attorney."

"You realize that Dad could have done it for you for free," Jack said evenly, glancing at his brother's set face.

"Kinda would have defeated the point," Henry shook his head as he stared down at the shiny cover. "I need to do this on my own. I want to show dad that I chose him all on my own."

"I can respect that," Jack said softly, turning into the underground parking lot of the hotel. "Although I still say we could call Uncle Derek or Uncle Dave. You don't have to do this to yourself."

"Yeah, I do. I've waited my whole life to tell Will LaMontagne that I was better off without him. I'm not turning back now."

Flipping up his sunglasses as he steered the car through the darkened cave, Jack glanced around for a free spot as he asked, "What's he even doing here? My memory is fuzzy, but I have a definite recollection of Dad and Uncle Dave strongly urging this guy to disappear and never come back after that final showdown with Mom."

"Some kind of law enforcement symposium," Henry shrugged, his jaw tightening as he mentally prepared for the coming meeting. "I don't really care why he's here as long as he does what I need him to do."

"I get that," Jack nodded, sliding the car into a corner parking slot and cutting the ignition. "Okay," he murmured as the vehicle went silent, turning to study his brother carefully, "We're here," he said quietly. Seeing Henry sitting unmoving in the passenger seat, he said softly, "You know, I'm not gonna think any less of you if you want me to go in there and get his John Hancock. Honestly, I'd kinda prefer it."

"A guy has to fight his own battles, Jack," Henry replied resolutely, stiffly unsnapping his seatbelt, "and this one is mine."

"Okay, but I'm still gonna ride shotgun on this little expedition of yours," Jack declared determinedly.

Swallowing, Henry stared at the far doors to the hotel and nodded, grateful for Jack's supportive presence. Of course, he wasn't surprised. Jack had been in his corner from the moment he'd began to form memories. Whether it had been a schoolyard bully or going head to head with his parents, the other man had stood behind him, backing him up. He should have known that wouldn't stop now. "Let's just get this done," Henry said, pushing open his car door.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's Note:**__**Calling all writers! Please check out our new writing challenge on our forum on **__**"Chit Chat on Author's Corner" **__**(you can find the link on my profile page.) In order to expand our horizons and stretch our writing wings, everyone who joins the challenge will be writing an exciting new pairing. By signing up, you'll get to suggest a pairing for someone else to write in addition to agreeing to write yourself. The story can be a drabble or an epic, romantic or friendship, AU or canon, angst or comedy…or anything in between. As the author, it is your choice to determine the direction and plot…we'll just be providing the pairing. We're certain that this will result in some fantastic stories, so check it out today! And feel free to email, PM or post to the forum thread if you'd be interested in participating. Also, please check out our newest interview with the fabulous Angel N Darkness, another of our site's many talented authors.**_

**Who I Am**

**Chapter Two**

_**Prompt: **__**Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman**__** - Things My Father Never Taught Me**_

Walking into the ornate hotel lobby, Henry focused on the elevator ahead of him. "I called earlier. He's in room 403," Henry said, doggedly making long strides toward the lift's silver doors.

Reaching out a long arm, Jack stilled Henry with a hand on his shoulder, bringing his brother to a halt as he nodded toward the open French doors to the hotel bar. "I don't think you're gonna have to go that far, Bro. Looks like some things don't change," he murmured, nodding to where Henry's sperm donor sat straddled on a stool at the end of the bar, his eyes glued to the mounted television set hanging behind the busy bartender.

"Guess not," Henry muttered, eyeing Will with disgust. "Based on what I've pieced together over the years, the alcohol was one of the reason's my mom got out."

"Look, Henry," Jack said softly, pulling on his brother's arm when the younger man would have stalked inside the dim tavern, "Are you sure about this? We could call Dad and..."

"I'm doing this, Jack," Henry stated, his eyes flashing as he turned to face his older brother, his fingers determinedly clenching the important folder. "With or without you, I'm not leaving here without what I came for."

"Fine," Jack snapped, dropping his brother's arm. His jaw set, he added, "But I'm going on record right now and stating this is an asinine plan. You can get what you need from him without putting yourself through hell."

"Whatever," Henry snorted, turning on his sneakered heel. "You coming?" he asked over his shoulder, already moving toward the entrance.

"What do you think?" Jack grumbled, trailing Henry's footsteps through the open doors and into the darkened room. Watching as the younger man came to stop about three feet away from his biological father, Jack held his breath as he waited for the older man to acknowledge them.

Finally, Will LaMontagne's pale eyes left the plasma television's screen and he blearily noticed his audience. Eyes widening as they landed on Henry, his heart skipped a beat. The image of his mother, Henry stood stock still just mere inches from him, his stare cold and emotionless.

"Do you know who I am?" Henry asked impassively, his tone conveying nothing of his inner emotional turmoil as he trained his eyes on the thin man ahead of him.

"With eyes like that, it would be hard not to," Will drawled, his eyes sketching the young man in front of him. "You're the image of your mama."

Licking his lips, Henry nodded once. "I am," he agreed, adding a silent thanks to God for that stroke of genetic luck.

Looking around Henry's shoulder at the man standing behind his son, Will inclined his head toward Jack. "Know you, too. Damn, boy, you look like Aaron Hotchner's clone standing there."

Meeting the other man's stare levelly, yet saying nothing, Jack wondered if he could simply will William LaMontagne's head to explode with the power of positive thinking. It would certainly solve some of his younger brother's problems, in addition to being an interesting act of psychic phenomena.

Getting no response from Jack, Will offered a small smile that tightened by the second. "Act like your daddy, too. He never had much to say either." Turning his gaze back to Henry, Will murmured, his pale eyebrow raised, "Never imagined seeing you here."

"I imagine not," Henry replied, fighting to keep his voice steady in the face of the man that had abandoned him as a baby. Clearing his throat, he added wodoenly, "And after today, you'll never have to worry about seeing me again. I'm here for a reason, sir."

"So formal," Will shook his head, propping one elbow on the brass rail of the bar. "You can call me Daddy, you know."

"That would be difficult, Mr. LaMontagne, since you're not my father. Due respect, sir, but you and I share a little biology and a little blood. That's all. I have a father. And I want to recognize him as such," Henry replied, his well rehearsed speech spilling easily from his lips. All that practice in the bathroom mirror had evidently paid off.

"Come again?" Will asked, narrowing his eyes as he fought to understand the torrent of words that had just poured out of the boy's mouth.

"Sir, we're nothing to each other. I barely remember you and if you're honest with yourself, you could probably say the same thing about me. All I need from you is one thing, and it's the only thing I'll ever ask you for," Henry explained, sliding the sheath of papers onto the polished mahogany bar in front of his sperm donor. "All I need is your signature in two places and we're done with a relationship that never really even began."

Surprised and shocked, Will dropped his eyes to the papers in front of him, the words "waiver to paternity" catching his eyes. "You want me to sign away my rights to you," he said softly, his fingers dropping heavily against the formal looking paper.

"I want you to acknowledge that you were never really my father to begin with," Henry countered, his jaw clenching as he tried to suppress his quickly shifting temper.

"That wasn't entirely my fault," Will retorted defensively, his eyes flashing in the darkened bar as he jerked his head up suddenly.

"I don't care," Henry responded flatly, his fist clenching at his side as he felt Jack take a step closer behind him. "You didn't raise me. You had nothing to do with how I did or didn't turn out. The only thing you are is a name on a piece of paper." Seeing Will open his mouth to argue, Henry held up a hand. "Don't get me wrong, Mr. LaMontagne, based on what I know, I'm grateful for that. I'm grateful for the things you never taught me." Pausing, Henry inhaled deeply, staring his biological father in the eye. "Now," he demanded, his voice gaining confidence, "ask me why."

Lips tightening as he blew an impatient breath through his nose, recognizing the obvious undertones of steel in that voice, Will said softly, "Tell me."

"Because I got to learn my lessons from a man that actually gave a damn about me...about who I became as a person. We're nothing to each other, Mr. LaMontagne, and I'd prefer to keep it that way. Indefinitely," Henry said tersely, shaking his head defiantly. "You walked out on me. You walked out and never looked back. At least do me the courtesy of letting me have my dad officially. Don't you owe me that much?"

Pausing for a long charged moment to stare at the boy that had evolved into a man, obviously without his help, Will nodded. "I can hear Aaron Hotchner's voice when you open your mouth," Will murmured begrudgingly, reaching for his stein to pull a long drink, the amber liquid dulling whatever emotions that might have been attempting to surface.

"If that's true," Henry replied softly, his shoulders straightening another notch, "it's the biggest compliment you could ever pay me."

Nodding once, Will swallowed hard as he picked up the pen that Henry had dropped over the sheath of papers and quickly scrawled his name. Handing the pen and documents back to Henry, he quietly said, "For what it's worth, you turned into what looks like a fine man."

"Thank you," Henry replied with dignity, accepting the legal papers from Will's hand, glancing down quickly to ensure that the proper lines had been signed. "Goodbye, Mr. LaMontagne," he said, turning to walk out of the bar and away from the man that had given him life but had never been involved in any of the moments of living it.

Snagging Jack's arm when he would have followed Henry, Will muttered, his eyes still on the blonde head moving toward the door, "Your dad did a good job."

Nodding as he drew his arm back, Jack smiled rigidly and remarked with pride, "Henry is his father's son, through and through. Blood had nothing to do with it, sir. Henry's heart has known since day one who his true dad was. But thank you for giving him the closure he needed."

Unable to speak, Will watched Jack trail protectively after his brother. And he began to realize just how much he'd lost.


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who has been reading and reviewing this new story! We appreciate you taking the time to let us know what you think. Also, thanks to Kavi Leighanna & Sienna for their great TV Prompt Challenge!_

**Who I Am**

**Chapter Three**

**Prompt: ****8 Simple Rules**** – What Would Dad Want**

Standing together with David Rossi in silent sentry, Aaron Hotchner felt a wave a pure and unadulterated parental pride wash over him as his two sons walked out the door of the Hyatt Regency. A blonde head bounded a half-step behind a mass of dark hair, together but slightly separate, each of them determinedly moving away from the confrontation they had just won.

"Feel better, papa?" Dave drawled from beside his best friend, his own pleased smile firmly in place as he leaned casually against the low stone wall hidden to the side of the entrance.

"I just couldn't let him do it alone, Dave," Hotch confided softly, shaking his head as he felt his heart swell again, unable to contain the relief that flooded through him. "I couldn't risk his safety like that."

Shrugging, Rossi nodded with understanding as he pushed up, shoving a hand in his jeans pocket. "No matter how old they get, we always feel the need to protect our kids where we can. It's instinctual."

Laughing lightly as he shook his head, Hotch shot a look toward Dave as they slowly made their way back to their own parked car, their chosen spot a well-hidden corner of the top of the garage. "Would you ever have imagined ten years ago that you and I would have been standing here commiserating about parenthood?"

"Hell, no," Rossi grunted, blinking as he adjusted his eyes to the cave-like darkness. "I still say Emily must have slipped a mickey in my drink the night she convinced me that I could be a dad," he chuckled, visions of his wife and eight year old daughter dancing happily through his mind.

"And yet, here we are," Hotch sighed, reaching for his SUV door, his reflection bouncing back at him in the side mirror for a moment.

Easily climbing inside the vehicle, Dave offered Hotch a sidelong look. "You gonna tell him that you were here?" Dave asked curiously as the other man dropped his cell phone onto the console.

"Can't," Hotch chuckled, raising one dark eyebrow as he expertly pulled the vehicle out of their concealed spot into the bright sunlight. "Arianna made that a condition to her divulging the boys' location. My daughter can be quite the talented little terrorist when she puts her mind to it."

"Ah, I prefer to look at it as negotiation tactics rather than terrorism," Dave laughed, adjusting his seatbelt as he thought of his own daughter, her abilities to outwit both her parents almost as legendary as the youngest Hotchner's.

"That's because you don't have to live with her," Hotch rolled his eyes again, signaling a quick turn as he eased into a far lane. "I'm pretty sure she's going to give JJ and me more trouble than both our boys combined," he groaned.

"Do me a favor and keep her away from Isabelle for the next ten years or so then, okay?" Dave quipped, flicking the sunshade down as his eyes easily found the small Civic a few cars ahead of them. "My daughter already has enough of my attitude than is healthy."

"Noted," Hotch replied drily, glancing over at the other man for a second. "Thanks for coming with me today, Dave. I didn't want to upset JJ with this, and I didn't quite trust myself to come alone."

"It's understandable, Hotch. Blood or not, Henry has been your son since the second Will walked out all those years ago. But, you gotta admit, isn't it kind of nice to know that the kid feels the same way about your being his father?" Dave asked, raising a brow at his best friend.

"Yeah," Hotch assented, his heart warming as he remembered watching Henry talking to Will, the boy's determination obvious, "It is. If I'd have known having my name meant this much to him, I'd have taken care of it years ago," he said softly, driving carefully through the busy streets, carefully keeping three car lengths behind his eldest son's car.

"Maybe it was better this way," Dave mused, his fingers resting against the molded armrest as he nodded. "Henry was old enough to make his own decision. Cutting ties with that piece of shit was his own idea. That's got to mean a lot."

"More than you know," Hotch whispered, the words barely touching the countless emotions welling deeply inside of him.

"Gonna fill JJ in?" Dave asked, tilting his head to see Aaron's face, recognizing the change in his friend's voice.

Shaking his head as he once again cleared his thoughts, Hotch replied firmly, "No. Henry will tell us when the time is right for him in his own way. I don't want to push him."

"Makes sense," Dave nodded. "I'll have my lawyer push the paperwork through for you. Evidently, this is pretty important to your kid."

"I appreciate it, Dave," Hotch said gratefully, his fingers clenching for a moment against the leather-covered steering wheel. Keeping one eye on his older son's car as they lapsed into companionable silence, Hotch wondered why this had suddenly become so important to his other son. Hell, he'd wanted for years to formally adopt him, to legally complete what had been emotionally established already, but always held back for fear of risking what was always a great relationship. Now, on the cusp of his eighteenth birthday, Henry had made the decision for himself. As a man. His little boy had grown up while he wasn't looking. And Aaron Hotchner felt the sting of unshed tears rising in his eyes.

Slipping on his sunglasses as easily as he forced his well-used mask back in place, Hotch cleared his throat as he asked, softly, "What was your first thought when Henry came to you for help?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Dave tapped his fingers against the edge of the passenger door handle as he said, plainly, "Figured the kid was trying to make a statement to himself. Hell, we've all been there at some point in our lives. Your son just got there a bit earlier before most of us."

"I wonder what he would have done if LaMontagne had put up a fight," Hotch mused, his fingers tightening against the steering wheel as his mind wandered back in time, remembering the last time he had spoken with the man that had hurt JJ and abandoned his son. He hadn't trusted the man then, and he definitely didn't trust him now, not when Hotch's entire family was involved.

"The son of a bitch's dumb, but not an idiot," Dave snorted, rolling his eyes as he leaned back comfortably against the headrest. Cocking an eyebrow, he added, voice filled with a tinge of laughter, "Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that what a Hotchner wants, a Hotchner gets."

* * *

_Check out our writing challenge on our forum on __**"Chit Chat on Author's Corner"**__ (you can find the link on my profile page.) In order to expand our horizons and stretch our writing wings, everyone who joins the challenge will be writing an exciting new pairing. By signing up, you'll get to suggest a pairing for someone else to write in addition to agreeing to write yourself. The story can be a drabble or an epic, romantic or friendship, AU or canon, angst or comedy…or anything in between. As the author, it is your choice to determine the direction and plot…we'll just be providing the pairing. Thanks to everyone who has signed up so far….and it's not too late for YOU, too! Whether you've written multiple chapters or never posted your first story, you are welcome to join us! Feel free to email, PM or post to the forum thread if you'd be interested in participating. _

_Also, please check out our newest interview on the forum with the fabulous Angel N Darkness, another of our site's many talented authors._


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's Note: Thanks so much to Kavi Leighanna and Sienna27 for their Television Prompt Challenge.**_

_**And please, check out our writing challenge on our forum on **__**"Chit Chat on Author's Corner"**__** (you can find the link on my profile page.) In order to expand our horizons and stretch our writing wings, everyone who joins the challenge will be writing an exciting new pairing. By signing up, you'll get to suggest a pairing for someone else to write in addition to agreeing to write yourself. The story can be a drabble or an epic, romantic or friendship, AU or canon, angst or comedy…or anything in between. As the author, it is your choice to determine the direction and plot…we'll just be providing the pairing. Thanks to everyone who has signed up so far….and it's not too late for YOU, too! Feel free to email, PM or post to the forum thread if you'd be interested in participating.**_

**_And please, check out our newest interview over on "Chit Chat". We're talking to the lovely and talented CMali today._**

**Who I Am**

**Chapter Four**

**_Prompt: The Secret Life of the American Teenager - "The Father and the Son"_**

And a few weeks later, Henry Jareau finally got exactly what he wanted.

As his high school headmaster's deep baritone voice spoke into the microphone, everyone in the packed auditorium clearly heard the announcement that Henry Jareau Hotchner should come forward and accept his diploma. Scanning the crowd as he slowly climbed the metal risers, he found his mother's shocked eyes widely staring back at him, his father's face beaming with pride beside her as the rest of their true family surrounded them.

His family. The family that had chosen him and that he had, in return, also willingly chosen.

Accepting his diploma with nerveless fingers, his new name ringing in his ears, Henry quickly made his way back to his appointed seat as valedictorian at the head of his class. The rest of the ceremony became a blur for him as he kept his eyes affixed to his family's faces, each one beaming back at him. And in those long minutes, he knew he'd made the right decision by choosing to confront LaMontagne alone...or as close to alone as his elder brother and younger sister would ever allow him to be. Uncle Dave had once told him, in a voice that wasn't entirely joking, that their family was sort of like the Mafia. Once you were in the Hotchner clan, you could never get out.

Not that he'd ever want out. He was man enough to make his choices and to stick to them. Their family was forever.

As the Dean of Students made his closing remarks, Henry's heart pounded faster, a faint sheen of perspiration slipping underneath the collar of the shirt he'd borrowed from Jack. In just a few minutes, he'd receive his parent's reaction to his surprise. And while he could tell from the looks of their faces that they were both happy, he felt a small twinge of trepidation, knowing full well he'd be forced to own up to the deceitful way he'd done things.

As the recessional began and the graduates filed past the audience, Henry smiled at his brother as Jack high fived him on the way past their row and chuckled as he heard his Uncle Dave's slow drawl of, "You've got some 'splaining to do, my boy."

And fifteen minutes later as he heard his mom's lilting voice behind him, he knew the jig was up.

"Something you forgot to mention to us, son?" JJ asked, suppressing a smile as her son turned to face her.

"Now, Mom," Henry hedged, holding up one hand as he stared down into his mother's twinkling eyes, "this is a day for celebration, isn't it? One more kid down, one left to go," he stalled, glancing frantically toward his father for help.

"Don't look at me for help," Hotch shrugged, more than willing to allow his wife of better than ten years to have the first go at their son. She had been the one to bring him into the world, and according to what she was quick to inform all of their children on a regular basis, she could just as easily take them out.

"You could have told us what you wanted," JJ said softly, reaching up to cup her son's cheek, his height putting her at a slight disadvantage. "If your name bothered you, you know your dad and I would have made it right for you."

"It's not that it bothered me, Mom," Henry shook his head, his mother's hand always a comfort, no matter how old he grew. "I always knew who I was and who my real dad was. I just wanted the rest of the world to know it, too," he explained, glancing toward his dad as his mother's soft blue eyes teared up. "And now they do," he said matter-of-factly, meeting his father's dark gaze levelly.

"You made your mother cry," Hotch said slowly, sliding a hand down JJ's back, the boy's shoulder's almost equal with his. "You know how I feel about that."

"Not fair, Dad," Henry whined as he turned, his eyes twinkling with mirth, "I can't be blamed for that. She's been crying since I put on this freaking gown this morning."

"True," Hotch conceded, his lips twitching as JJ glared equally at each man in turn, her pert nose wrinkling. Leaning toward his wife, he murmured, "You did kind of lose it when the kid put on his cap."

"You two!" JJ snorted, turning to slap her husband's arm as he took a step away. "I'm going to seriously consider Ari's idea of disowning you both!" Turning back to her son, she smiled weakly as she tugged him down to her eye level and said softly, "I've never been prouder of you than I was today. I love you."

"Mom," Henry whined, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment, the sounds of his fellow graduates filling the air around them.

"Just like a Hotchner," she snorted, glancing over her shoulder to include her husband in her complaint. "You're all uncomfortable with public displays of affection. I'm going to ride with Aunt Pen to get the house ready for the graduation party. Your sister is riding with Jack, so..."

"The boy and I will be right behind you," Hotch interjected, pulling her away from their son when Henry flashed him a pleading look. Turning her small body toward the group gathered behind them, he urged, "Go on, sweetheart."

Nodding once, both men watched as JJ quickly walked away, scrubbing her eyes again even as she laughed at something Garcia whispered in her ear.

"At this rate, you're gonna have to buy stock in Kleenex, Dad," Henry joked, watching his mother reach for another tissue from her purse.

"Don't tease your mom," Hotch admonished gently, automatically shaking his head as he let his eyes linger on the beautiful woman that had given him his family. "It's traumatic watching your baby spread his wings. And she's had to do it twice in under five years."

"Yeah," Henry nodded as they moved through the crowded hallway, walking beside his father toward the parking lot. "At least you've got awhile now before Ari flies."

"We do," Hotch agreed, throwing an arm around his son's wide shoulders. "But each child is different."

Studying his father's profile, Henry said softly, "You weren't shocked, Dad. You were happy. But not shocked. You knew, didn't you? You were there that day, weren't you?"

Trying not to grin, Hotch nodded, his voice even as he agreed, "I did and I was."

"Who blabbed?" Henry groaned, his chin dropping for a second as he realized that his well-laid plans had been leaked.

"Doesn't matter," Hotch replied, shaking his head as he led his son out into the bright afternoon sunlight. "I just couldn't let you confront Will alone."

"Well, if you paid attention, I wasn't alone. Jack insisted on going with me," Henry chuckled, tucking his hand into the pocket of his trousers.

"Okay," Hotch amended, " I couldn't allow any of my kids to place themselves in that position without me. You'll understand one day, Henry. But whether you're five or fifty, as long as I live, I'm never going to willingly watch while you put yourself at risk. But for the record, what you did meant more to me than anything anyone has ever done. Because you chose me. Most kids...they don't get to pick out who they recognize as a parent. You did. And I can't tell you how much joy that gives me."

"I could feel you there that afternoon," Henry said quietly, scuffing his slightly-too-big dress shoes against the dimpled concrete sidewalk. "Almost like you were cheering me on."

"Maybe that's because I was," Hotch replied, pausing mid-step to meet his son's eyes. Staring down into those bright blue orbs that were exact replicas of Jennifer's, he said, his own eyes suddenly crinkling, "You've always been my little boy, Henry. From the day your mother let me into your life. But seeing you take on LaMontagne...you made me proud to call myself your dad."

"Thanks," Henry replied huskily, his throat thick with emotion as he stood face to face with the one person who had taught him how to be a man . From the first time he had realized what the word meant, Aaron Hotchner had been only father he had ever known…and ever wanted. And standing there, the golden sun shining down on both of them, Henry Hotchner muttered the only words that truly mattered.

"I love you, too, Dad."

_**finis**_


End file.
